


The art dweeb and the popular girl

by Caramel_Illusions



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Light Angst, Nerd and popular girl, Non-Canon Relationship, Popular Girl, Teen Angst, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Tsunderes, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22010875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caramel_Illusions/pseuds/Caramel_Illusions
Summary: Being popular was hard. Crushes were to...God, why did she have to have a crush on the art dweep?
Relationships: Nathaniel Kurtzberg/Lila Rossi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting anything on this site so we’re learning as we go. This was actually a part of a collection of stories I made for this paring on Fanfiction.net called Casual Love

The walk to school was a boring one. With no one to talk to Lila often drowned out the silence with rock music. Occasionally she would hum the tune but she mostly got lost in her own thoughts. Once in a while she would stop to check herself out in a pocket mirror; after all, she was one of the most popular girls in school, got to look good for her fans. She was about to turn the corner when someone rammed into her. She stumbled backwards slightly, but was able to keep her balance….didn't mean she wasn’t pissed off.

"Hey, watch were you going!" She screeched harshly to the air as she rubbed her head to try and dull the pain from the impact.

She blinked and then she looked down to find the culprit sitting on his butt massaging his head from their collision. He was short for a guy, with bright red hair and pale alabaster skin. His fashion sense was horridness and most of his clothes didn't even fit his small frame. Lying beside him was a large sketchbook now laid bare for the world to see…Lila briefly stole a look at the drawings and was duly impressed with the work inside the book….not that she would ever admit that out loud. She could describe the guy in a few words; small fry, art dweep, pathetic, weak, and utterly adorable.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" He said seafoam eyes staring up at her apologetically.

His voice threw her off…his voice wasn't cute, it was damn sexy. She shook that thought away and scowled, she had a reputation to uphold. If Chloe found her hanging out with some art nerd she could kiss her popularity goodbye.

"Be more careful, Ariel! I could have gotten hurt you know." She said rudely before walking away not even bothering to help him pick up his things, even though she too was partially to blame for not paying attention to where she was going.

* * *

Besides the little hiccup in the morning everything else preceded as usual…same people, same compliments, same school, and the same popularity game. A few rumors here and there about how she was a bad person, some true most not, other rumors about how she was a goddesses walking amongst mortals, some over exaggerated claims and others flat out lies. To be truthfully honest it was all rather boring. It wasn't that she didn't like the attention quite the opposite she thrived from it, good or bad, but her daily routine was becoming too daily and mundane…more like a chore…

She was glad it was art class. She liked painting; it was a nice hobby, kept her mind off things. The class itself was alright…She only really liked the class because the teacher allowed them to use their phones for music and references, although in reality most of the students used it for more than just the intended learning purposes.

Right now they were practicing working with charcoal. She hated charcoal, she always smudged it and it always looked too blurry, always got her hand and arm covered with charcoal to, but she guessed it didn't really matter. They were to be paired up and the teacher would assign the pairs and give them a worksheet to do together and an assignment they would do separately, the assignment obviously being to create a drawing. Lila wasn't really paying attention.

"Lila and Nathanael." Lila sighed…hopefully this Nathanael guy could draw or at the very least actually paid attention to the PowerPoint slides the teacher created.

To be honest she didn't know most people's names….or at least didn't bother remembering them, but as fate would have it, it seems she already met the guy. Red hair, sea foam eyes, it was the boy from this morning….she was a little surprised to know he was in the same grade as her, she really thought he was a year younger….this misconception was largely due to the boy's height. She didn't bother mentioning what happened this morning. She just sat down and began working on her task, he did the same. It was a simple task, both of them could have done it individually…and technically they did. There was no communication between them, no attempt to communicate; they just sat beside each other as they completed the simple assignment. Once they both were done they pulled out their phones and began to mindlessly play games and check social media apps.

Lila stole a quick glance at the boy then looked around to make sure the teacher wasn't watching them. The teacher was grading papers and what not and the fact that both she and Nathanael were at the very last row gave Lila enough confidence to click on her Crunchyroll app. She plugged in her headphones and began watching the new reboot of Sailor moon. She always loved Sailor moon, it was her favorite show growing up, Sailor Mars, was her personal favorite Sailor scout. She heard a giggle…

"I didn't take you for an anime fan…" Nathanael whispered softly. Lila flushed…

"Tell anyone and I'll wreak you." She threatened. Nathanael just held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Who's your favorite?" He asked curiously and for some reason she replied.

"Mars."

For years she's kept her love for anime a secret….popular girls aren't weeabos….but because of that she's never been able to talk about her interest, she can't talk about her favorite characters and their arcs to anyone….So, she reasoned, because of this suppression she was desperately craving someone to talk to about this, to share this interest with…Nathanael would have to do.

"You watch anime….?" She quietly asked after a few seconds of silence passed by.

"Yeah." He replied bluntly and began doodling in his sketchbook.

"C-can you draw manga…?" She asked shyly as her eyes followed the delicate movements of his wrist…he smiled….Her heart skipped a beat…she's never seen a more radiant smile….He let out a good natured, mellifluous laugh.

"I do from time to time…Why…? Do you want me to draw you something?" He answered innocently. Lila pondered the question…

"Mmm….Could you….couldyoudrawmeasasaliorscout…." She mumbled.

"What…?" Lila repeated herself but she wasn't anymore audible the second time than she was the first. "Pardon…" Lila went red in the face…

"Me…Sailor scout…." Was; what Nathanael was able to hear. He smiled, who knew the notorious fox mistress was so shy and cute.

"Sure."

"R-really…"

"Yeah….why don't you describe how you want it to look like and I'll draw it for you…" Lila was about to respond happily when she caught eyes with Chloe's lanky, Sabrina…who was currently starring curiously at the duo. Lila cleared her throat and flipped to a random blank page in her sketchbook and scribble downed her address silently pushing it closer to Nathanael.

Come to my house after school…I don't need anyone else knowing I'm an anime freak.

"You and your pride." Nathanael replied with a sigh. Lila gave an 'hmmph' and returned her attention to her phone, but not before glaring at Sabrina. Sabrina saw her glare and made the wise choice of erasing the memory of seeing Lila's friendly chat with the art dweep.

* * *

The doorbell ringed with a clear silver chime and Lila went to answer the door, already knowing who it was on the other side.

"Hey Li-." Nathanael couldn't even finish his sentences when he was forcibly pulled inside the house.

"Shh! I don't need this getting out!" Lila whispered harshly. Nathanael frowned….

"Why? Are you embarrassed?"

"It's w-well Aug! You wouldn't understand!" Lila said in frustration. Nathanael just shrugged it off...he never did understand the popular crowd.

"Whatever. I got my sketchbook let's get started."

"O-Ok…Here uh…wanna go to my room?"

"Sure."

They made their way to Lila's room. Her walls were covered in Jagged Stone posters, anime and vocaloid posters. She had a large red bed with various pillows and a small stuffed toy fox. Her walls were a bright sunset orange and her curtains were a mellow golden green that filtered the white light of the sun into rays of murky gold. Her room was very tidy and orderly. A small smile made its way onto Nathanael's face as he saw a small collection of figurines on the desk next to her bed. She was such a dork. He thought with amusement.

"Ok! Let's start!" Lila said as she flopped on top of her bed. Nathanael decided to sit down on the desk chair that was besides Lila's bed where he placed his art supplies on the provided black desk.

"Well I want to be able to capture you personality in this drawing….how would you describe yourself?"

"Myself…Just ask around the school, I'm sure you've heard of me. Next question." Nathanael frowned.

"No. I don't care what lies people spread or what assumptions they make. I want to know who you truly are who you think you truly are…" Nathanael said…Lila immediately felt uncomfortable…

"Do I have to…? Can't I just tell you who everyone thinks I am…?"

Nathanael's blank expression was her only answer…Man is this guy stubborn…She thought as she let out a sigh.

"F-Fine…But turn around I don't like you staring at me, you look like a freak!" She exclaimed and he complied. She took a deep breath… "I-I…I like to think myself as confident…but really…I…don't have much self-esteem…I love attention…my parents usually aren't around…I guess maybe that may have something to do with my desperate need for approval…I need constant reassurance…I want to be perfect…I want to be able to please the main crowd, to fit in, and be accepted…But really I'm just a liar, with low self-esteem…I'm…I'm not a hero…" She mumbled…

"You're only human…" Nathanael replied softly as he turned around to face her again.

"H-Hey, don't turn around!" She shouted…she didn't want him to see her face. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"That's was very brave of you to say….especially since I'm just a stranger…" He complimented…

"Can we…just get on to the next question…something less deep and thought provoking…" she requested, he complied.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Red." She replied…she wanted to get back at him for making her feel like trash. "Like your hair, I love the color. It suits a cutie like you." She said flirtatiously with a wink…He flushed and tried to hide behind his sketchbook…Yup definitely looks good in red...Lila thought satisfied.

"What would your weapon be?" Lila pondered this…

"Can I have an A-bomb?"

"No." She pouted.

* * *

They spent the rest of the visit talking about various subject: art, anime, Jagged Stone, their interests, etc. From what Nathanael could gather was that Lila was very much a sensitive person easy to hurt, a person who holds grudges who doesn't easily forgive, she's stubborn, clever, needs constant praise, likes being in control, and is very flirtatious (…that last trait was going to be the death of him.)

In the security of her home Lila felt like she could flirt with whomever she wanted without having to worry about the repercussions, social status, or her reputation. She felt confident in the walls of her room. She could talk about her interests about her fears without the constant threat of having someone overhear her. What she learned about Nathanael was he was a precious little tomato that she wanted to hug: he was kind in nature, gentle and docile, sarcastic, easily flustered, and surprisingly outgoing. What she quickly picked up on was that he was only ever outgoing when there were a small number of people around him in a safe secure area he felt comfortable in.

Nathanael was finally satisfied with his rough concept art.

"Do you want it colored to?" He asked wondering if she wanted a professional finish…maybe he could upload the sketch onto his computer and work on it.

"Yes…uhh…But it's not like you have to I mean I could probably do it better anyway!" Nathanael decided to ignore the last part.

"Nonsense I'll gladly do it only for you." He said innocently, did he understand what he just said? She wondered as a small heat enveloped her cheeks.

"What a charmer…" She said playfully. "Still…I feel like I have to pay you back somehow…Well…we can discuss payment later; let me look at the concept art again." Lila said casually as she leaned over to look at the drawing.

The concept sketch was coming along nicely as it had transformed from random chicken scratch into a messy outline of a female body. It almost looked like she was descending from the sky gracefully caught in mid-fall as she jumped into action, her long hair flowing behind like a flag as her two other strands of hair flew around her like ribbons, her arms gently encircling a giant floating, spherical mirror.

"My weapons a mirror…?" She asked

"O-Oh well it was just a placeholder really…I just thought…it suited you…" He said. She raised an eyebrow.

"Suits me? What are you saying? Do you think I'm really that vain?" She asked with a small frown. Nathanael quickly scrambled to fix his mistake.

"No! No! That's not what I meant I mean….You remind me of a mirror, letting people see what they want to see, creating illusions and refractions….I-I thought it would be cool if it would be your weapon….you could like deflect attacks and send them back at the opponent or you could use it to disguise yourself like sailor moon's magical disguise pen." Nathanael explained.

"Well when you put it that way….Still I'm very offended!" She said stubbornly.

"I can change it if you want; it was just a placeholder really…." He said. "Oh! What about a sword…I could draw you like…this holding your sword over your head." Nathanael explained as he raised his hands above his head pretending to hold a sword to provide a helpful visual.

The mirror was a complex symbolic symbol, often contradicting itself. Sometimes it was a symbol of truth and wisdom other times it was a symbol of vanity and clouded lies. Sometimes the mirror's gleaming clear surface reflects a sense of clarity and self-awareness, other times its blurry reflection reflects a distorted illusion or a white lie, a cracked mirror can mean a sign of calamity or a sign of a fractured identity. You can look at a mirror and see not only your physical appearance but reflect on who you really are….The mirror is able to represent many things juxtaposed to each other: truth and deception, reality and illusion, flattery and harsh reality, logic and disorder, narcissism and self-loathing. A mirror is more than meets the eye….and that is a very appealing aspect of the mirror….

"No…a mirror will do…But!" She exclaimed as she got out a pencil from a bucket full of writing utensils.

"I want it to do more than just mere illusions it has to be a badass mirror like its owner! A mirror is more than meets the eye."

She stated as she drew a circle near the right corner and started illustrating what the back of the mirror would look like and made another circle underneath it to illustrate what the front would look like.

"Hmm…what do you think…?" She asked Nathanael after she was done.

The back of the mirror resembled an ornate shield. It had a delicate rounded form that was covered with fine floral decorations, around the center were four umbos whose bases resembled flower petals and in the very center of the shield like mirror was a delicate sun made of various connecting lines. The front was a simple reflective surface, save for the outline of a magical hexagram.

"The back reminds me of shield…any particular reason you went with that artistic choice?" He asked.

"Well the mirror itself is fragile…if it breaks it wouldn't be of much use so it needs a tough exterior." She explained. "Oh! And what if the mirror lets you see what you want to see, I could easily disguise myself, or I could make millions of images of me to confuse the enemy." Lila said excitedly as she wrote down her ideas near the right corner underneath the two circles.

"What if those illusions only work as long as the person doesn't come in contact with them because if they do it shatters like a mirror?!" Nathanael said as he scribbled his ideas down beside her.

"And the mirror can reflect attacks back to the source like you said!"

"It would be great for escapes since you could create a separate image of yourself as you run off and by the time the illusion shatters you're already gone!"

"What if it lets me see unfolding events from afar?!" Nathanael gasped his eyes growing wide with inspiration.

"This gives me a great idea for the background!" He said out loud excitedly…

"Wait wait…let's calm down…first things first…I'm not fighting naked…" Lila said referring to how they had yet to create her sailor outfit. Nathanael flushed…

"O-Of course not! Hmm….Let me see….let's start with the skirt." He said as he drew the hemline of the skirt first, creating gentle flowing lines.

"Here add more volume." Lila suggested as she added more volume to the skirt. "Ohh and a bow in the back…"

"Since you're descending downwards the ribbons will be more like this." Nathanael said as he fixed the ribbons.

"Speaking of ribbons lets add the signature bow."

"Add a gem in the middle."

"Now for the classical fuku top."

"How about we add those transparent wing like sleeves"

"Some long elegant gloves and thigh high boots."

"The classical tiara."

"Let's add some more jewelry like some star earrings and a choker…."

"Can I do the background now…?"

* * *

They looked at the finished sketch with pride. Nathanael decided he would definitely give it a more polished look by uploading it onto his computer and working on it there on SAI.

"So when can you give me the finished piece?" Lila asked.

"Hmm…I say maybe a day…or two...depends on how much homework I have."

"Thank you so much….Really if there's something you want in return I'll-." Nathanael cut her off.

"Don't worry there's no need…I'm happy to do it…." Lila raised an eyebrow and then a grin spread across her face as she thought of a devious idea.

"Oh…but there must be something…" She said slyly as she got closer to the redhead gently sliding her fingers across the back of the chair as she made her way around to face Nathanael.

"There really isn't anything I want." Nathanael said innocently failing to register just how close Lila was…that is until he felt her sit down on his lap…His shoulders stiffened.

"Really…?" She asked her eyes half lidded as she inched her face closer to his…he was completely paralyzed now... "Well…I think I have an idea…~" She said her smoldering green eyes alit sending a shiver down Nathanael's back. His shoulders stiffened even more as he felt Lila's slender fingers brush against the nape of his neck snaking their way into his red hair.

He gulped as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders…a few seconds went by…then he pushed her off of him, his face beet red. Lila was surprised…she thought he was going to grab her shoulders so he could pull her down and kiss her…Her face must have conveyed her astonished expression because he immediately tried to apologize.

"I-I'm so sorry I-I didn't I-I mean I wasn't expecting…! I'm n-not used to that kind o-of stuff! I-I have to go now! I'm s-sorry!" He said quickly then he ran off…leaving Lila dumfounded…

After finally regaining her composer a small smile made its way onto Lila's face.

"So cute…"


	2. 2

The next day came and it followed the same old routine. Lila made her way to school, idly listening to Jagged Stone's new hit album ' _Diamonds Break'_. It had a good chorus and a mesmerizing drum beat that got Lila's head bobbing in tempo. Normally she would feel a lukewarm aura drown her as she made her way to the harsh social hierarchy of school, but today she was rather excited to see a certain redhead…and a little nervous considering the last time she saw him he ran out of her house so quick she swore he left skid marks on the floor…

By god was he cute…she thought… _Stop thinking like that Lila! It might have been okay to flirt with him in the safety of your home but don't forget about your reputation…don't let all your hard work be erased by some redhead…a really cute, kind, huggable, loveable, redheaded angel…._ Lila's face turned pink…her heart fluttered slightly…Why out of all the attractive people she could have cherry picked from did she have to feel attracted to some shota art dweep…? She blamed Anime…She couldn't let her feelings get out of hand….

"Oh! Uhh…Good morning, Lila…" A smooth voice said gently, she already knew who it was long before he jogged his way up to her.

"…"

She didn't say anything, her cautious eyes scanning the area to make sure there weren't any witnesses. Once she was sure no one from their school was in the current area she returned her gaze onto the small redhead in front of her.

"Morning shota boy." She said playfully with that trade mark grin of hers. "Are you tired?" She asked.

"Tired…" Nathanael asked slightly confused as he titled his head to the side.

"From all that running." Lila clarified. Nathanael gave a sheepish smile embarrassed by the memory of what had happened.

"S-sorry for running out like t-that…you just surprised me…that's all…" He said quietly with rose tinted cheeks as he hugged his sketchbook closer to his chest self-consciously…. _He has to be doing this on purpose…_ Lila thought as her heart fluttered.

"Sorry for that, guess I was just too forward…but I can't help that you're super cute." Lila apologized. She was always a go getter, she knew what she wanted and she didn't shy away from achieving what she wanted.

"Y-you think…I'm cute…?" Nathanael asked slightly surprised that someone like Lila found him attractive…He felt his ego boost up slightly…though he was still shy from the compliment.

"Would I lie to you?"

Nathanael pondered the question…she _was_ known for being a compulsive liar…

"Don't answer that." Lila said after she practically read his mind…she didn't have a good reputation in regards to honesty. "Anyway, I want you to know something." She said.

"What is it?" Nathanael asked curiously.

"I don't want you anywhere near me."

"Huh?" Nathanael was confused…Didn't she like him…?

"Listen I have a reputation to uphold and I don't need you ruining my image so do me a favor and act like you don't know me." She stated coldly.

"B-But I-I…"

"No buts!" She said sternly….even though his sad puppy dog gaze made her knees go weak…she wanted to hug him and tell him it was just a joke… _Don't crack, don't crack, don't crack…_

"B-but what about your commission…?" He muttered meekly… "I thought maybe…never mind!" He said and was about to run off, but she gently grabbed his wrist which surprised the redhead.

"Listen don't take it personally, okay? You're a real cutie but you're not exactly Adrien Agrest." Nathanael bowed his head and snatched his hand back. Lila sighed. "I'll be expecting my commission by tomorrow, see ya never." She exclaimed as she walked away leaving Nathanael behind…but before she made it out of earshot Nathanael said:

"I-It's a real shame…I wanted to get to know you better…Now, what am I gonna with this extra anime convention ticket." He said with a melodramatic undertone as he let out a sigh. "Hm…Maybe I can ask Marinette to go with me…I bet she would love the cosplayers…"

Lila froze… and Nathanael couldn't help but smirk, she was too predictable sometimes.

"Y-You got tickets for a nearby anime convention…?" She murmured quietly.

 _She's such a dork…_ He thought affectionately…maybe…this would change her mind…maybe then she'll let him hang out with her more and not just in the safety of her home…but in school and outside of school…

"Yeah…Eh? Don't tell me you want to go to a nerdfest?"

"Y-yeah right I would never go to a place like that!" That was a lie. She really wanted to go.

"Okay…well then I guess I'll be going then…If you happen to change your mind my offer still stands, but I will need an answer by tomorrow." He said as he started resuming his walk towards school…Lila just stood there contemplating her options…Little red sure knew how to drive a hard bargain.

* * *

The day went by and all the while Lila was contemplating her choices...Should she risk someone finding her in a geek fest? Would it be worth it?

"Hey Lila!" A bratty voice called out to her making her lose her train of thought. It was Chloe.

"Sup, Queen Bee?" She responded casually.

"A little birdie told me you were hanging out with the art dweep…. Please tell me it's only a rumor, after all, we wouldn't want that to ruin your perfect reputation right? What would Felix think?"

_I'm going to murder Sabrina!_

"I'm guessing that Birdie is Sabrina." Lila said with a scowl.

"I can't say…~ But that doesn't matter right now, right now I need to know. A _re you_ hanging out with the art nerd?" Lila started panicking…good thing she was quick-witted.

"Your 'birdie' was just trying to get on your good side by supplying you with false information. The only reason I talked with that nerd was because we were working on a paired assignment I didn't choose the partners. You of all people should know how _frustrating_ it is when you get paired up with someone you know is dirt compared to you against your own will." Lila said smoothly.

"Oh yeah I hear you! Those dumb teachers think they can pair me up with any loser they want yeah right like my Dad is going to have his princess mingle with such low lives!" Lila let out an internal sigh of relief…her reputation was safe for now.

"Preach it! But you may want to talk to your birdie about researching a bit more before reporting back to you after all it's a good thing I cleared up the misunderstanding before it got out of hand…I mean can you imagine how _embarrassing_ it would be if the Queen of gossip got the gossip _wrong!_ It could really hurt your reputation." Lila said hoping to make Chloe mad at Sabrina for making her look like a fool…it worked.

"Ugh! Your right I'm going to have a long talk with her!" She said angrily. Lila smiled; _dodged a bullet_.

However…things went downhill from there. Nathanael had been going through his usual routine and was heading towards his classroom. He spotted Chloe and he couldn't help but scowl…he would often go out of his way to avoid being anywhere near her for two reasons. Number one he didn't want to be near someone like her, her personality was infuriating and number two…out of fear. Chloe was an opportunistic bully if she saw the opportunity to humiliate someone she would take it. However, he also spotted Lila…

Lila was known as the fox mistress. She was known to lie and cheat, she wasn't as bad as Chloe but she wasn't exactly Marinette dubain cheng. Lila was good at manipulation which made it easy for her to bend the rules to her will. She was clever and conniving like a fox…thus the nickname… But…ever since yesterday…he briefly wondered if this side of Lila was also a lie, an illusion, a front to fool everyone…because from what he's seen she may be a compulsive liar but she was relatively harmless…She didn't go out of her way to make others feel like garbage…So Nathanael thought Lila would prevent Chloe from humiliating him…He thought that maybe…she wasn't so bad…she seemed to like him…so she wouldn't let Chloe humiliate him…He made his way towards them. Chloe snickered.

"Hey, Lila, watch this." Chloe said with an evil smile.

Just as Nathanael was getting closer to them Chloe stuck out her leg and tripped him. Nathanael tripped unceremoniously onto the ground his sketchbook flying out of his hands as the loose papers inside the book scattered across the floor like dying autumn leaves littering the hallway. Chloe let out a bratty laugh as she reveled in the humiliation of another. Suddenly her blue eyes caught the sight of something that made her practically jump in glee.

"Hey look at this!" She said as she snatched up a paper from the ground….

Lila looked, out of curiosity… _What could be on that page that caught Chloe's attention?_ When she looked at the contents of the paper her heart sank. It was her commission….He actually finished it…It was beautifully shaded and she was in awe of the background. She was descending down from a sea of broken mirror shards and the background itself seemed to be cracking and breaking like a mirror, the fracture lines extending outwards from the center like wings…He even managed to capture her famous mischievous all knowing smile…

"Oh my god! Lila is that you? What are you wearing?!" Chloe asked as she burst into giggles. She shoved the piece of paper into Lila's hands as she continued teasing the redhead. "You're a real creep drawing her without her permission haha! Who knows what other weird shit he's drawn?"

"T-That's not true!" Nathanael hissed his face becoming flush…he shot Lila a pleading look asking her to save him from this situation.

Lila looked at his face…he was vulnerable; he was asking for her help, he trusted her...She briefly glanced over at Chloe who was looking at her waiting for her response….She…she….had to do it…

"Hehe Don't tell me you actually like me as if I date someone like you, freak!"

To prove her point she gripped the paper in her slightly trembling hands…and she tore it…one piece two pieces four…now they're just scraps lying around the floor, Nathanael watched in silent horror.

"Hey, look Lila is he about to _cry?_ Haha what a crybaby!" Chloe said tauntingly.

Nathanael didn't want to hear what Chloe had to say, he didn't care. He didn't want to be anywhere near that snake! He trusted her! He thought….AUG! He should have known! He hated her. He hated her. He hated her! He hated her! The ground was getting blurry as he ran as fast as he could away from them, away from _her._

He didn't go to school the next day….From then on whatever relationship, they may have had turned sour. Nathanael was cynical about anything Lila did, even when Lila just wanted to apologize. And although Lila tried to apologize she didn't make things any better when she teased him and made fun of him to keep face. So it often went down something like this:

Lila nervously made her way towards Nathanael. She took a deep breath and calmed her nerves.

"H-hey Nathanael."

"…"

"…"

"Hi." He finally responded.

"I just wanted-." She started.

Chloe was around the corner sautéing down the halls with her lanky.

"What did you want to say?" Nathanael asked slightly hopeful.

"I just wanted to let you know how useless you are; even at the things your supposedly 'talented' in you just produce mediocrities."

"…Is that all…?" He asked coldly as he gripped his sketchbook close to his chest…He caught sight of the blonde brat and sneered "Really, hehe you're no better than Sabrina, just a follower for the queen." He coldly stated and started walking away not wanting to be anywhere near the trio. Lila watched him leave with a frown…apologizing was going to be harder than she thought.


	3. 3

Music erupted from the phone siting on the desk as Lila chewed the tip of her pencil in thought…what could she do to make it up to Nathanael? It's been two weeks since the 'incident' and all attempts at apologizing have ended in failure. Each time she always ended up making the situation worse by teasing him, calling him names, insulting him, etc…Perhaps she should leave a note… _what if he just tares it up…like I tore up his drawing(s)…_ She looked idly at the ceiling in thought…

"Maybe I should just stop…I'm only making things worse….Besides why am I even trying? I mean I have the whole school under my thumb why am I trying so hard for some art nerd…?"

She let out a sigh already knowing the answer to that question…He was the only one who saw beyond her illusions, the only one who she willingly told her shameful otaku secret. All the other students don't really like her. Their smiles and complements are as fake as she is….He was the only genuine one… So because of this, she reasoned, was why she was so desperate for his approval and attention…because she wanted a real bond, a real friend, a real relationship based on common interests and hobbies not on lies.

But she messed up, destroyed any opportunity she may have had to form a real relationship with someone who genuinely saw her as a person, not as an idol or a monster. _'So scared of what your enemies will do to you. You're the only enemy you ever seem to lose to…' Wow does that sum it all up_ …She thought idly as she turned off the music from her Pandora App… _Am I Hamilton, then?_ She sighed and got up from her chair to stretch and give her brain a rest. She looked at the calendar that hung on her wall. _Tomorrow's…Valentine's day…_

Her eyes widened as an idea came to mind. _Wait does he even like chocolate? Maybe a card? No he would tear it up before even reading it! Flowers? No…Maybe he's allergic. Is he allergic to peanuts? Does he have a girlfriend?!_ That last thought almost made her trip… _I'm hopeless…_ She thought glumly as she took a pencil and paper and started jotting down ideas while also contemplating the thought of Nathanael having admires…the thought alone made her frown.

Finally, she decided she would keep it simple because anything extravagant would surely backfire on her…She would give him some chocolates…but _how_ was she going to do that was the question? She knew she wouldn't be able to do it during class or even after because she would run the risk of having the same mistake occur; where she would just bully him whenever a student passes by just because she's afraid they may act as a witness to take her popularity away. She frowned. _I'll think of something…_

* * *

The hallways were eerily quiet as they were no longer filled with the loud chatter of teens, only a few people remained. It was the end of the day and most of the students had rushed out the school gates before the bell was even done ringing. Nathanael had gone to his locker after exciting the art room; he needed to pick up his English textbook. He walked down the hallway idly as he looked at the Valentines' decorations the spirit team plastered on the wall. There was supposed to be some event tonight…or was it tomorrow night? Well it didn't matter; he was all alone this year….again….But he had no one to blame but himself. He always liked keeping to himself, he liked being alone…but it did get lonely… (What a shocker) He would occasionally get the urge to socialize…but he didn't know how. He sighed, the struggles of an introverted artist.

He made it to his locker and just as he was about to close it he saw Lila from the corner of his eye. He sneered and stuffed his things into his book bag intending to quickly evacuate the area. But she got in his way. He tried walking to the left, she moved to the left, he moved to the right, she moved to the right. He was getting annoyed.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly…

She was probably gonna make fun of how he didn't receive any chocolates for Valentine's Day…he thought cynically. However she just stood there idly, nervously looking from one place to another but never once looking at him…this caught Nathanael's attention…if she had wanted to make fun of him she would have already have…but she's just standing there….He was confused…

"What do you want?" He asked again expect this time his words didn't hold any bitterness but rather curiosity.

Lila's eyes drifted downwards and she started swaying from side to side, shifting her weight around as if stalling for time.

"Look I need to get going now an-."

He was caught off when she shoved a small bag towards him. The bag was red and was dotted with small pink hearts. She held it out with one hand as if it was the most disgusting thing in the world and looked firmly at him; waiting for him to accept her gift…Nathanael blinked in confusion and made no sudden moves to accept the gift. This caused Lila to frown and she pushed the bag of what he assumed to be chocolates closer to him and she let out a stern 'hmm' as if she was trying to say 'here take it already.' He gingerly took the bag…he was still confused…

"Are…are these for me?" He asked softly.

"T-they're apology chocolates; that's all! Okay!"

With that she ran off and Nathanael watched her run off as he stood there in confusion…Apology chocolates…? He thought confused…Lila however felt proud of herself for finally giving him the gift she had wanted to give him…This was a step in the right direction!

Nathanael looked down at the bag of sweets…Was this a joke…? He opened the bag and the chocolates stared up at him innocently...No way…! Did she mean it…? He wondered still slightly skeptical of the bag and its seemingly innocent contents. He quickly thought back to what she said: 'T-they're apology chocolates; that's all!' When she said that her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink as she shoved the bag into his hands with a slightly annoyed frown….Wait a minute….That's when it all clicked and Nathanael couldn't help but smile and let out a giggle.

'That Tsundere…' He thought affectionately as her behavior now seemed to explain itself…A thought came to mind and a mischievous smirk made its way onto his face. 'He had to repay her for her kind gift….'

* * *

The next day Lila got out of bed joyfully. She had taken the first steps in amending her relationship with the tomato child. But she was still walking on thin ice. One wrong move and….No! She couldn't think about that now, she had to stop thinking about herself! She thought firmly as she got ready for school….But she still had fleeting doubts…

The first bell hadn't rung yet and Lila was leaning against the wall surfing the wide web on her phone idly. She heard soft footsteps on her left side and from the very corner of her eye she saw the familiar shade of red. Her breath caught in her throat… _Calm down…breath…Its fine just act like you didn't notice him…_ Her heart however did not slow down its frantic beating. The footsteps got louder and louder, they were brisk and moderately loud when all of the sudden they stopped…He was standing right next to her, head slightly titled up with a small smile and gleaming teal eyes. Lila's throat suddenly became very dry and she gulped a wad of saliva nervously…She could hear faint whispers arise from the crowds of students that were cautiously and curiously observing the duo.

Instinctively she glared at the petite boy…but he didn't even flinch he just kept looking at her pleasantly…. _What the hell? Can't you see you're making me feel uncomfortable?!_ Lila thought slightly flustered….His bright eyes made her heart pitter patter and she longed to hold him close and brush his soft red hair away from his face so she could look into those eyes… _Urg great now he's making me think weird thoughts! Ah! The people! T-they're whispering… talking about me….! Gossiping! Their eyes they're everywhere! Looking, expecting…!_ Before she could calm herself she went with her first instinct…She needed to insult him, get him away from her so she could stop feeling like this! So she could think straight.

"What do you want ner-mmh!"

He didn't let her finish her sentence. He caught her completely by surprise when he gently grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her down to his level and placed a quick, fleeting kiss on her lips. The world seemed to spin faster and everything blurred the only thing in focus was Nathanael, nothing else seemed to matter. Lila's eyes were wide open filled with shock. Nathanael's warm soft lips rendered her completely powerless. Finally, he pulled away from the chaste kiss and Lila tried leaning forward to capture his lips in another kiss yearning to fell the warmth of his lips on top of hers, but he simply placed a singer finger up to stop her advances. He looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"Thanks for the chocolates." He said with a smile and made his way to his locker leaving her completely dumbfounded. It took a total of five seconds for her brain to process what just happened…She looked out into the faceless crowd which was buzzing with questions and gossip… _Screw it!_

"N-Nathanael! Wait up!" She shouted as she chased after the redhead boy. She wasn't going to let him slip away this time.

* * *

BONUS:

Nathanael stopped walking and turned around when he heard his name being called.

"Yes…?" He asked coyly with a smile. Lila paused her cheeks slightly tinted red either from the kiss or from the light jog…the formal was more possible. "Did you want something…?" He asked innocently.

"Do I want…?! Don't play innocent you big tease!" Lila shouted flustered her face gaining a darker hue of red.

"Tease…? I don't understand." He said but his lips were tugging upwards into a condescending smirk. He did understand!

"It's not fair! Why do I get so flustered? I'm supposed to be the Seme in this relationship!" Lila proclaimed.

"We're in a relationship?"

"I-I…No! I mean t-that's not what I…" Lila was having trouble forming a cohesive sentence she sealed her mouth shut when she heard Nathanael giggle.

"So you admit we are indeed in a relationship." It was less of a question and more of a statement. Lila didn't want to admit it…but…She sighed…She took a deep breath.

"…yes…" She mumbled…

"I'm sorry what…?"

"….I…I said yes…." She mumbled again.

"I didn't quite catch that."

That did it! She strode up and grabbed him by the front his shirt reminiscent of what he had done to her and slammed her lips onto his. That shut him up. His face turned a bright cherry red; it seemed he didn't expect her to act so boldly.

"Does that answer your question?" She asked as she gently tilted his head up so he could look her in the eye. He simply nodded red faced. "Good then we have some catching up to do." She said with a playful smirk and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

 _Oh dear lord what have I done….?_ Nathanael nervously thought as he was pushed against a wall with Lila entrapping him by placing both of her hands on either side of his head.

Needless to say they were tardy getting to class.


End file.
